In a conventional device which tracks a human figure in a photographic image, a tracking-objected person requires to wear a specific device such as a pulse transmission device or a GPS (global positioning system) device in order for the device to track a specific human figure (for example, see Patent Document 1 and 2). However, the following techniques do not require the tracking-objected person to wear the specific devices. More specifically, there is a technique where (i) a position of a face of a human figure is confirmed, and (ii) panning, tilting, and zooming of a security camera are controlled so that the face is positioned in the center of a screen, so as to trace a movement of the face. Further, in the technique, features of the face are extracted from the image, in order to compare the face with a face registered in a database. This is to see whether or not the face matches the face registered in the database, in order to recognize a specific individual (for example, see Patent Document 3). Moreover, there is a technique where face information of a human figure is acquired from an image, and the face information thus acquired is tracked by use of a plurality of cameras, when the human figure is or is not registered in a database (for example, see Patent Document 4). There is also another technique where (i) automatic tracking is carried out by tracing a subject (tracking object) that is designated by pointing on a screen, and (ii) a video camera is controlled so that the subject comes in a center of a monitor screen (for example, see Patent Document 5).
“Tracking” in the present specification indicates an action to keep, an image of a subject (tracking object) inside a photographic image (so that the subject is continuously captured in the image).    [Patent Document 1]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 40514/2004 (Tokukai 2004-40514) (published on Feb. 5, 2004)    [Patent Document 2]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 20265/2005 (Tokukai 2005-20205) (published on Jan. 20, 2005)    [Patent Document 3]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 163600/2000 (Tokukai 2000-163600) (published on Jun. 16, 2000)    [Patent Document 4]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 324720/2003 (Tokukai 2003-324720) (published on Nov. 14, 2003)    [Patent Document 5]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, No. 339056/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-339056) (published on Dec. 6, 1994)